I cannot tell if she is hungry...

[Sarahboh]

Please help me! I have become more and more puzzled by my 11 wo lo. She seems to be chewing at her hands all day long and I don't think she is always hungry. I know this is only one hungry cue, but could she be chewing because she needs sucking time, teeth coming? She doesn't have a pacifier as she would never take one, she found her "hands" last week and since then has seemed to chew non-stop. Her daytime sleep has also been very off, only taking 1 hour naps when they used to be a regular 2 hours. When I pump I get 4-5 ounces so I know I am making enough. I don't think she is on a growth spurt (though I cannot recognize them well anyways). ANY feedback would be appreciated! Help

[GraceKellysmom]

Once they find their hands they never take them out of their mouths!  :roll:  Something fun to play with.

Keep trying to feed her on her "normal" schedule or times. Watch for the growth spurt too, she may be fussier than normal when she wants to eat again.

[annamum]

Yes, I remember how Anna was fascinated with her newly discovered hands, she didn't have enough of them.

If you are in doubt, you can always offer her your breast and see if she is hungry. A baby that is not hungry won't take a breast at all.

[milliesmaw]

Hi Monika - sorry to jump in here but just read your reply and was wondering about this today! My DS never refuses the breast although I think he also recognises that he could get himself off to sleep by feeding. Could it be that he would take a feed to try to get to sleep also? Mind you he is a big baby so perhaps just a bottomless pit :roll:

[annamum]

Jo,

I think you are right :oops:. Some babies will take advantage of the breast and use it to put themselves to sleep. I think that depends whether a baby was ever allowed to do so in his life because I have heard from many moms on this site that their babies refuse breast if not hungry. My guess would be that if he has ever had such sleep association he may do that just to go to sleep. If he hasn't fallen asleep that way, he will probably refuse breast if not hungry.  Bear in mind, this is my theory and I am not absolutely sure it is correct. My dd was nursed on demand her first 2.5 months and as she is spirited in some ways I had a hard time to get her to sleep independently. She would, for example, completely refuse to nurse if she knew I wouldn't let her fall asleep on the job.

I know that for those babies who associate breast with comfort and food it is possible to take breast when not hungry. I also know babies who never used breast for anything else but food and won't take it if not hungry, they will actually scream and get upset if mom is trying to offer the breast. So, I am sorry for my original post, because it is not always the case what I wrote in it :oops:.

[milliesmaw]

Oh please don't be sorry I was just wondering. My DD could give or take breast and I remember her refusing it on occasions and I was worried :roll: But my DS does have the sleep association as he too is spirited and is v difficult to get to sleep. I had introduced pacifier but that has stopped working so at the moment he prefers breast :roll:

I'm going to stop that after Xmas though as it was unintentional so will be back with more questions about independent sleep then...

I too was feeding on demand especially through the night and i think in the early days it's v difficult to tell if they're really hungry or not. And then I just kept going and before you know it you've got a problem - ( well I guess only a problem if you see it that way which I do :wink: )

Thanks for confirming and happy holidays!